Wire feeding apparatus



Jar.. 28, 1964 L. J. BERKELEY WIRE FEEDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 16. 1961 NNNNN mw.

L; E WWU mum IN VEN TOR. laurence J` Berkel j BY v A rrd/QA/f/ Jan. 28,1964 l.. J. BERKELEY WIRE FEEDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May16, 1961 INV EN TOR. Laurence J` Berkel ej V/ 'w/ /W A UFA/2 UnitedStates Patent O 3,119,536 WIRE FEEDNG APPARATUS Laurence I. lerkeiey, LaSella, Calif., assigner to Berkeley-Davis, Inc., Danville, 1li. FiiedMay 16, 1961, Ser. No. 116,516 Claims. (Ci. 226-110) The presentinvention relates to a wire feeding device, more particularly to adevice for individually and selectively feeding a plurality of wires,and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improveddevices of the character described.

While the present device was developed for use in seam welding equipmentwherein one or more consumable Welding wires are adapted to be fed tothe material being Welded, it will readily be apparent that theinvention is not limited to such use but will find utility in variousfields where one or more wires must selectively be fed.

Heretofore, devices of the same general type have been employed;however, none have been as simple, effective nor as compact as thepresent invention. Other advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a study of the following description and from the drawingsappended hereto.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part ofthis application there is shown, for purpose of illustration, anembodiment which the invention may assume, and in such drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a head for individually andselectively feeding a plurality of wires, herein shown to be six innumber,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view generally corresponding to theline 2 2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view generally corresponding to the line 3 3 ofFIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded, fragmentary perspective view of certain detailsseen in FIGURES 2 and 3.

With reference first to FIGURE l, there is illustrated a head formed ofa housing 11 through which pass the wires (herein shown to be six 12,12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4 and 12.5) which are to be fed. Briefly, housing11 rotatably supports a plurality of roll pairs 13, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3,13.4 and 13.5, each forming a pass for a respective wire. Each roll pairis presently identical, roll pair 13 comprising rolls 14, having theirperipheries in adjoining relation and the remaining roll pairscomprising identical rolls identified by the same reference charactersbut with the appropriate suflix .l through .5.

Hereinafter and unless a contrary meaning is specified, it is to beunderstood that a reference, for example, to roll pair 13, roll 14 orroll 15 also refers respectively to roll pairs 13.1 through 13.5, rolls14.1 through 14.5 or rolls 15.1 through 15.5.

Rolls 14, 15 are preferably identical (with the exception of theircenters as will later appear) and as best seen in FIGURE 4, each has aportion formed with a peripheral annular groove 16 for receiving thewire 12. Adjacent to each portion providing the groove 16 is a gearportion 17. In the present embodiment, the roll and gear portions areshown formed of the same piece in order to reduce the number of partsand thus simplify the disclosure; however, it will be apparent thatmanufacturing economies or the like may dictate that such portions beseparately formed and then bolted, welded, pinned or otherwise suitablyfastened together to form a structurally integral assembly. Asillustrated, the gear portions 17 of respective rolls 14, 15 areintermeshed so that simultaneous rotation of the rolls is insured.

With reference to FIGURE 2, the rolls 14 through 14.5 are presentelykeyed in side-by-side, abutting relation to a drive shaft 18 journaledin suitable bearings 19 for ro- ICC tation in the housing 11. Althoughnot shown, a suitable motor may be connected to an extension of shaft 18for rotating the latter in either direction depending upon the desireddirection of wire feed.

As previously mentioned, the gear portion 17 of roll 15 is meshed withthe gear portion of roll 14 and, for supporting roll 15 in position, anon-rotatable shaft 20 is mounted within the housing. For reasons toappear, shaft 20 is non-circular in cross-section to provide ilat,parallel sides 21 (see FIGURE 4) and is spaced transversely of the shaft18 but parallel therewith.

Mounted upon the shaft 20 is a sleeve 22 having an elongated slot 23 forclosely spanning the shaft sides 21. The arrangement is such that whilesleeve 22 is nonrotatably supported by the shaft 20, the elongatedsleeve slot 23 provides for limited sleeve movement in a directiontoward and away from the axis of drive shaft 18. The round exterior ofsleeve 22 is proportioned to rotatably fit within the bore 24 of theroll 15, the latter thus being rotatable about the sleeve 22 and alsobeing shiftable with the sleeve toward and away from the axis of theshaft 18. As will be clear, the rolls 15.1 through 15.5 are providedwith respective sleeves 22.1 through 22.5 which are identical with theabove described sleeve 22.

In order to bias each of the sleeves 22 through 22.5 in a direction awayfrom the axis of shaft 18 for a purpose to appear, respective coilsprings 25 through 25.5 seat within recesses in the shaft 2t)v and bearagainst the bottoms of respective sleeve slots as shown.

As above mentioned, springs 25 through 25.5 normally bias the sleeves 22through 22.5 and thus their rolls 15 through 15.5 in a direction awayfrom rolls 14 through 14.5 an amount sufficient to release respectivewires 12 through 12.5. Therefore, even though drive shaft 18 and all ofthe interconnected roll pairs are rotating, none of the wires will befed. Independent, selective feeding of the wires 12 through 12.5 iseffectuated by shifting the appropriate roll 15 through 15.5 against theurging of its spring toward the axis of drive shaft 18 so as to grip thewire in the roll pass. When the wire is thus gripped between therotating rolls of its pass, it will be fed therethrough. In order tocarry out the above-mentioned movement of rolls 15 through 15.5, thefollowing structure is provided, it being understood that a descriptionof roll pair 13 is equally applicable to roll pairs 13.1 through 13.5with one exception later to be pointed out.

Engaged with the periphery of roll 15 of roll pair 13 in opposedrelation to the roll pass is a back-up roll 26 rotatably carried by anintermediate portion of a lever 27. One end of lever 27 is pivotallysupported by a shaft 28 mounted within the housing while the other endof the lever carries a roller 29. A back-up roll and lever is providedfor each roll pair; however, for reasons to appear, the levers 27through 27.5 are alternately arranged. As viewed in FIGURE 3, the levers27, 27.2 and 27.4 are pivotally supported by the shaft 28 which, in theposition of parts shown, is disposed on the left side of the roll pairs13 through 13.5 while the levers 27.1, 27.3 and 27.5 are each pivotallysupported by a shaft `30 disposed on the right side of the roll pairs.Thus, the rollers carried by the free end of respective levers 27, 27.2and 27.4 are disposed on the right side of the roll pairs while therollers carried by the free ends of respective levers 27.1, 27.3 and27.5 are disposed on the left side of the roll pairs.

The means provided for shifting the levers 27 through 27.5 about theirpivots presently comprises a liuid motor 31 of the diaphragm type foreach lever. As best seen in FIGURE 3, each motor 31 has a piston rod 32engaged with the roller carried Iby the free end of respective lever.

In operation, when fluid pressure is admitted to respective -uid motorsthrough respective conduits 33, the piston rod will move down (in theposition of parts shown) to bias the lever and thus the 4back-up roll tourge the upper roll of the engaged roll pair toward the lower roll togrip and thus feed the appropriate wire. When uid pressure is exhaustedfrom the fluid motor, the upper roll will once again be biased by itsspring as before described to release the wire and thus feeding thereofwill cease. Obviously, 'any combination of wires may be fed depending-upron which of the duid motors are exposed to the pressurized fluid.

It is to -be understood that while individual rolls 13 through 13.5 areherein shown keyed to the drive shaft 18, such rolls and ltheir gearportions could be formed as an integral unit with the drive shaft.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in thetart that I have accomplished at least the principal object of myinvention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art thatthe embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified,without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that theinvention is capable yof uses and has advantages not herein specificallydescribed; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosedembodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limitedthereto.

I claim:

l. A wire feeding device, comprising a pair of rotatably mounted trollshaving their peripheries in adjoining relation, one o-f said rolls beingmounted for movement toward and away from the other roll to provide avariable size pass between said peripheries, a movably mounted back-uproll having its periphery in rolling engagement with said one roll,means for moving said one roll and said bacloup roll in a direction awayfrom said other roll to open up said pass and interrupt drivingengagement with a wire disposed therein, and means for moving saidback-up roll and said :one roll toward said other roll to close saidpass on said interposed wire and thereby feed the same.

2. A wire feeding device, comprising a pair of rotatably mounted rollshaving their peripheries in adjoining relation, one of said rolls beingmounted for movement toward and away from the other roll to provide avariable size pass between said peripheries, resilient means normallyurging said one roll in a direction -away from said other roll to opensaid pass and interrupt driving engagement with a wire disposed therein,ya movably mounted back-up roll having its periphery in rollin-gengagement with said one roll at a point opposed to sa-id pass, and

means for moving said lback-up roll and consequently said one rollagainst the urging force of said resilient means in a direction towardsaid other roll to close said pass on said interposed wire and therebyfeed the same.

3` A device for feeding two wires in independent relation, comprising arotatable drive shaft, a first pair of rolls secured to said shaft forrotation therewith, a support parallel to but spaced from said shaft, asecond pair of rolls carried by said support for rotation and. alignedwith said iirst pair of rolls to prov-ide corresponding sets of rolls,the pair of rolls in each set having their peripheries adjoining to forma wire pass therebetween, each of said second pair `of rolls lbeingmounted on said support for independent movement so that its peripherymay be moved toward or away from the periphery of its corresponding rollin said first pair of rolls, and means for independently moving each ofthe rolls in said second pair so that the respective pass may beselectively closed upon the wire disposed therein to drive the same,including a pair of back-up rolls aligned and having peripheralengagement with respective ones of said second pair of rolls.

4. A device for feeding wire, comprising a drive shaft, a first rollsecured to` said shaft for rotation therewith, a non-circular supportspaced from said drive shaft, a sleeve carried on said support formovement toward and away from said shaft, a second roll rotatablycarried by said sleeve and having its periphery adjoining the peripheryof said iirst roll to form a wire pass therebetween, resilient meansurging said sleeve in a direction away from said drive kshaft to opensaid pass and interrupt driving of wire lthe-rein, and a back-up rollhaving its periphery in rolling engagement with said second roll, saidback-up roll being rotatably carried by -a power actuated lever andbeing adapted to force said sleeve toward said shaft to close said passon the wire therein to drive the latter.

5. A compact device for feeding a pair of wires in in'- dependentrelation, comp-rising a housing having spaced opposed walls, a rotatabledrive shaft carried by and extending between said -wa-lls, a rst pair ofrolls secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, a non-circularsupport carried lby and extending between said walls, said support beingparallel to but spaced from said drive shaft, a pair of sleevesnon-rotatably carried #by said support and slidable therein forindependent movement toward and away from said drive shaft, a secondpair of rolls rotatably carried by respect-ive sleeves and aligned withsaid iierst pair of rolls to provide corresponding sets of rolls havingtheir peripheries in adjoining relation to form a wire passtherebetween, a spring for each sleeve operable to yurge the latter andthe roll carried thereby away from the corresponding roll to open thepass and interrupt driving engagement with the wire disposed in suchpass, a pair of lever shafts carried by and extending beltween saidwalls, a lever swingable about each lever shaft, each lever rotatablycarrying a lback-up roll which is aligned with and has peripheralengagement with a respective one of said second pair of rolls, and powermeans for independently swinging said lever shafts in a direction topress said xback-up rolls against respective rolls of said second pairof rolls and in turn press the latter toward corresponding ones of saidfirst pair of rolls to independently close the respective pass on a wireand drive the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,185,260 Stine May 30, 1916 1,798,316 Dreisbach Mar. 31, 19312,032,1260 Chapman Feb. 25, 1936 2,836,415 Rohdin May 27, 1958 2,935,037Card May 3, 1960

1. A WIRE FEEDING DEVICE, COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROTATABLY MOUNTED ROLLSHAVING THEIR PERIPHERIES IN ADJOINING RELATION, ONE OF SAID ROLLS BEINGMOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER ROLL TO PROVIDE AVARIABLE SIZE PASS BETWEEN SAID PERIPHERIES, A MOVABLY MOUNTED BACK-UPROLL HAVING ITS PERIPHERY IN ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE ROLL,MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ONE ROLL AND SAID BACK-UP ROLL IN A DIRECTION AWAYFROM SAID OTHER ROLL TO OPEN UP SAID PASS AND INTERRUPT DRIVINGENGAGEMENT WITH A WIRE DISPOSED THEREIN, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAIDBACK-UP ROLL AND SAID ONE ROLL TOWARD SAID OTHER ROLL TO CLOSE SAID PASSON SAID INTERPOSED WIRE AND THEREBY FEED THE SAME.